Stuey Lewis Against All Odds

Gr 2–3—The boy first introduced in The One and Only Stuey Lewis (Farrar, 2011) is now dealing with the challenges of third grade. In the first story, since the class is studying space, he tries to figure out how to organize a field trip to Georgia (1000 miles away) where his dad runs a space-science center. Next, Stuey and his older brother take their first airplane ride to visit their dad. Other selections deal with celebrating Mother's Day and finding the perfect pet for the class pet show. Each story presents a problem, with Stuey, his brother, and his best friend working together to find the best solution, with occasional help from Stuey's teacher and his mom. The large type and occasional pen-and-ink illustrations make this a great choice for reluctant readers. The unique cast of characters, including a very outspoken classmate named Lilly, creates many of the laughs in this engaging early chapter book.—Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Parma, OH